Process of making foot casts



Jan. 18, 1955 MURRAY 2,699,562

PROCESS OF MAKING FOOT CASTS Original Filed May 14, 1949 2 She'ets-Sheetl INVENTOR Alan .5. Murray Jan. 18, 1955 U Y 2,699,562

PROCESS OF MAKING FOOT CASTS Original Filed May 14, 1949 2 Sheet3-$heet2 INVENTQR 1 Ze z n 15'. Marina United States PatentO PROCESS OF MAKINGFOOT CASTS Aian E. Murray, New York, N. Y.

Original application May 14, 1949, Serial No. 93,211. Divided and thisapplication January 24, 1952, Serial No. 268,037

3 Claims. (Cl. 12-146) My invention relates to processes by means of whch previous serious difliculties encountered in the makmg of casts aswell as lasts and shoes therefrom can be effectively eliminated.

This application is a divisional of my application Ser. No. 93,271,filed May 14, 1949, upon Process of Making Foot Casts and Shoes Thereonas Well as Products Thereof, since abandoned. I

Previously, in the art of shoe making, great dtfiiculty has occurred inadequately fitting the toe portlon of shoes, to such an extent that theusual types of shoes have almost invariably been supplied without eventrying to fit the front toe portion of the shoe to the foot, the shoescustomarily supplied to the wearer having been much longer than the feetfor which they were intended. This has had the result of tending,unnaturally, to lengthen the foot, with consequent lowering ordetriment-ally affecting the normal arch of the foot, especially whenthe feet are subjected to heavy duty.

The shoes made in accordance with my invention avoid this dficulty byaccurately fitting the length of the foot as actually required by thedynamic position of the toes in action so as to preserve, and restorewhen necessary, the natural arch of the foot. Accordingly, these shoeshave even tended to shorten the feet when worn for a reasonable lengthof time. However, to accomplish this purpose, it is very important tohave an effective and correct fit of the shoes against the outer ends ofthe toes in use, and to bring this about I have found it important tohave adequate but accurate space provided to accommodate the ends of thetoes when in dynamic position, notwithstanding the fact that when thecast of the foot for the shoe is being made the toes are in a static,that is, relaxed length, which is generally shorter than the dynamiclength, in which the toes are being used.

In accordance with my invention, therefore, while preserving the naturalcontours of the foot and toes, I have made provision for extending orretracting the natural position of the contours of the toe cast, and ofthe shoe which fits the cast, just enough to accord with and fit thedynamic position of the toes. This I have done by severing the toeportion from the rest of the cast by a transverse cut, and filling inthe interval to any extent required if the toe position is to beextended. In other words, this makes possible the effective fitting ofthe shoe to the toe ends even though the cast of the foot is madeinitially in a static position. Also, I may, if desired, similarlyshorten the vertical depth of the cast by making a longitudinal, butpreferably upwardly arched, cut extending rearwardly from the transversecut, and then securing the parts together with any desired adhesive orfilling material, so as to lessen the depth of the cast to equal thelessened depth of the foot when in dynamic weight-bearing position ascompared to the relaxed position.

While my invention is capable of being carried out in many differentways, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one embodimentthereof in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is an insideside elevation of a cast made in accordance with my invention, showing acut made thereon which can be utilized to provide a filled-in interval,between the severed toe portion and the remainder of the cast, andshowing a longitudinal cut made from the rear of the toe portion to therear end of the foot;

Fig. 2 is an outside side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the cutting wire used for making the curvedcuts of the cast; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, a front and side elevation of a spacingmember used in gauging the thickness of the filling added at the rear ofthe toes;

In the drawings, I have shown a cast 1 of a foot made of plaster ofParis in any desired way, preferably partly filled in between its toes2, as shown in Fig. 3, but, for example, in accordance with thetechnique of attaining an accurate duplication of the shape of the foot,as in my Patent No. 2,177,304, upon Process of Obtaining Effective FootImpressions and Products Thereof, granted October 24, 1939.

A pencil line 3 is now made on the inside side of the cast 1, beginningat its lower end at a point where the pad 4 of the cast joins the bigtoe 5, that is, at substantially the location of the pyramidal recess 6between the toes and the ball portion of the cast, thence extendingupwardly and rearwardly in substantially a straight line to the meetingpoint of the said toe 5 with the upper surface of the cast and thentransversely over the cast just at the rear of the toes and to the otherside of the cast but so as to form a line for locating a U-shaped outfollowing said pyramidal recess 6. A straight pencil registry line 7 isthen made longitudinally on the side of the cast extending from the pad4 to the said tee s, to preserve a record of the natural angularity ofthe toe portion to the remaining non-toe portion of the cast. Also, apencil line 8 is made, slightly arched upwardly, extending rearwardlyfrom the line 3 to the rear of the cast 1. A rearwardly sloping pencilline 9, now, is made on the side of the ankle of the cast to indicate aplane at right angles to the line 3.

Cuts are now made, in succession, on the lines 9, 3 and 8, although thecuts on lines 8 and 9 can be omitted if desired, with any appropriatetool or machine. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the cut 12 made online 3 extends entirely across the cast to the other side thereof.

Preferably, the cuts are made with an endless wire cutter 10 runningover the usual rubber-faced wheels of a power band saw, the samecomprising one or more malleable or soft steel wires, preferably ofsmall diameter, which may or may not be welded together, and in which,at intervals, there are made a succession of simple knots 11, as shownin Fig, 5. This make comparatively thick cuts, as

if desired, about cutting wire, in which the knots 11 mainly do thecutting, is strong and will not break readily in use even when thedirection of cutting is being changed at will. Also, the knots 11,according to the size of the wire used, can desired, while having theneeded flexibility, and without requiring the wire to be of the brittlebreakable hard steel which would be necessary in case teeth wereprovided. The wires of the cutter 10 may also be woven or twistedtogether.

The cut of the cast 1 on the transverse plane of the line 9, which maybe about 20 to the horizontal, if desired, and which is made at a rightangle to the cut made on line 3, removes therefrom an ankle portion 141,thus enabling the body portion of the cast 1 thereafter, to be supportedon this plane by the work-supporting plate of the power saw. Then, thecut 12 on the line 3 can be readily made, bythe power driven wire cutter10, with the incline shown in Fig. 1 at substantially right angles tothe plane at 9, but on a U-shaped line, which may be, to the horizontaland which at the bottom follows the line where the pad 4 joins the toesand at the top follows the line where the toes join the foot portion ofthe cast. The cut at 3 is preferably thin, for example from A to &thick, all the way across, leaving a severed group-toe portion 13separated from the body portion of the cast. Then a cut is made, whichcan be of greater thickness, with a thicker wire of the kind 3 toespacefor the toes when intheir dynamic position, out of a plurality of sheetsof any des1red number, fastened together with an adhesive, such aslatex, and made,

for example, of any desired material such as aplastic, cardboard-orplywood. 'Each of these two spacing members 16 is sl1ghtly larger thaneach of the nearly fiat portions 17 and 18 at the' right and left endsof the U-shaped cut 12, so that when applied thereto they will projectabove, below and beyond the outer surfaces of the body portions 14 and15. The body portions 14 and 15 are thereupon united together with anydesired adhesive material, such as cellulose acetate solution, or evenplaster of Paris, to provide any desired lessened fraction of theoriginal thickness of the cut, or even an increased thickness so as toprovide greater vertical shoe space for the particular wearer, whichvaries with each wearer, as compared to' the thickness of the plaster ofParis cast that has been cut out on the line 8. Thereupon, the twospacing members 16 are fastened to the area 17 and 18 of the bodyportions 14 and 15 with rubber cement applied to the front and rearfaces of the spacing member 16, and the group-toe portion 13 is thencaused to adhere to the front of the two spacing members 16 with rubbercement, while being careful to preserve the correct registry of theadjacent lateral, upper and lower surfaces of the cast as well as topreserve the original angularity of the group-toe portion toe portion 13in the same angular position to the horizontai relative to the bodyportion by the interposed fastening material, and so as to locate thegroup-toe portion 13 in the same plane, heightwise, that it occupies inFig. 1.

The reconstituted cast 1, when the adhesive is substantially dry, isthen inserted in a pan containing sand high enough to reach the toplevel of the cut at 3, and a watery plaster of Paris, containingsufficient water to provide a milk-like consistency, is poured into thesand which surrounds the cut or gap 3 to fill the same and then allowedto set, which will take place in about to minutes. This cast is thenremoved from the sand, the spacing members 16 are removed, and all theremaining crevices between the non-toe portion of the cast 1 and thegroup-toe portion 13 are then filled in with the wateryplaster of Parisabove referred to and allowed to set. Any excess of the plaster of Parisprotruding beyond the edges of the adjacent portions of the cast 1'andthe group-toe portion thereof are then scraped off with a knife,after removal from the sand;

The ankle portion 1a can-then be stuck to'the main body of the cast 1,if desired, with cellulose acetate solution, or another cement.

The cast thus rebniltand the shoes made thereon have, in effect, theforward endsof the toes moved to the extrerne position occupied by thetoes normally when in action, that is to say the dynamic positionthereof, as compared with the generally shorter static position, or inthe case of some persons whose feet are longer in the static as comparedto the dynamic position of themes, the foot casts may be made shorter,if desired, as compared to the uncut cast. Also, if desired, in case thelongitudinal horizontal cuton the line 8 has been made, the cast and theshoe made thereon may be provided with a depth which is decreased toaccord with the depth of the dynamic or weight-bearingposition of thefoot as compared with the greater depth occupied by the tissues of thefoot when in its static or relaxed state. In other words, the shoes madethereon have a far more effective fit of the feet, and are'such as tofit the feet when 13 to the cast 1, that is to say, to preserve thegroupthe latter are being used dynamically, as in weight-bean ing, whichis the main purpose for which shoes are intended. In fact, a very largepercentage of foot difficulties arise from the malformation by footwearin the region of the toes and when fitting the feet with molded shoes atspecial problem arises, accordingly, in regard to the position of thetoes when in action as compared to the static position thereof. Inaccordance with my invention, the accurate accommodation of the shoesand casts to the" toes in their dynamic as well as their staticposition, is attained, while preserving the relative foot contours ofthe main body of the foot support as well as the group-toe portionthereof. Furthermore, in accordance therewith, provision is made toaccommodate the footwear to the naturally decreased vertical dimensionof the foot when in use dynamically as compared to the static positionof the foot.

It is found that these changes solve the residual difiiculties ofobtaining footwear which do, in fact, fit the entire feet. This isimportant as it has been well known that if any particular part of theshoe fails to fit the foot series discomfort is entailed in the foot asa whole,

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to beunderstood that many changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. The process which comprises severing, at the underneath recessbetween the group-toe portion and the foot portion of a cast, along ahorizontally curved line substantially conforming to the curvature ofsaid recess, the group-toe portion from the foot portion of said cast,

' and rejoining said grouptoe portion to the foot portion of the cast soas to produce a difference of longitudinal length of the cast.

2. The process which comprises severing, at the underneath recessbetween the group-toe portion and the foot portion of a. cast, along ahorizontally curved line substantially conforming, to the curvature ofsaid recess, the group-toe portion from the foot portion of said cast,and rejoining and fastening said group-toe portion to the foot portionof the cast, so as to produce an increase of lon itudinal length of thecast.

3. The process which comprises severing. at the underneath recessbetween the group-toe portion and the footportion of a east, along ahorizontally curved line substantially conforming to the curvature ofsaid recess, the group-toe portion from the foot portion of said cast,on a cut'extending upwardly towards the rear of the foot cast, andrejoining said group-toe portion to the foot portion of the cast so asto produce an increase of longitudinal length of the cast as a result ofintroducing spacing members, filling in liquid material, allowing thematerial to harden, removing the spacing members and filling in theremaining crevices with further such liquid material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

